WACO, Texas — Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III is headed to the NFL.
Griffin made it official Wednesday, announcing that he would skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft after a record-breaking college career. The announcement came a month and a day after the dual-threat quarterback became the first Baylor player to win college football’s highest individual honor.
Stanford’s Andrew Luck, the Heisman runner-up, and Griffin are likely to be the first two quarterbacks selected in April.
Griffin arrived at Baylor along with coach Art Briles before the 2008 season. Briles was at Griffin’s side Wednesday, both still basking in a season that ended with the Bears ranked No. 13.
Griffin set or tied 54 school records while playing 41 games at Baylor in the past four seasons. The fourth-year junior has another season of eligibility remaining at Baylor because he got a medical redshirt after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the third game of the 2009 season.
Griffin is Baylor’s career passing leader. He completed 800 of 1,192 passes (67 percent) for 10,366 yards with 78 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. His 2,254 yards and 33 TDs rushing are records for a Bears quarterback.
He completed 291 of 402 passes (72 percent) for 4,293 yards and 37 TDs with only six interceptions this season, when he also ran for 699 yards and 10 more touchdowns.
Around the league
• PACKERS: Preliminary autopsy results show Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin’s son drowned. The Oshkosh Police Department issued a statement Wednesday saying the autopsy shows the cause of 21-year-old Michael Philbin’s death was fresh water drowning. No evidence suggesting foul play was found during the examination.
• COLTS: Indianapolis hired Eagles executive Ryan Grigson as its new general manager. The 39-year-old Grigson has spent the past nine years with Philadelphia, where he was named director of player personnel in 2010 after four years as college scouting director.
• JETS: New York hired former Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano as its offensive coordinator to replace Brian Schottenheimer. The team announced the hiring of Sparano just more than 12 hours after announcing that Schottenheimer told the Jets he wouldn’t return next season despite having two years left on his contract.
• PRO BOWL: Falcons receiver Roddy White has made his fourth straight Pro Bowl roster, as he was added to the NFC Pro Bowl team on Wednesday as a replacement for injured Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson. White had 100 catches for 1,296 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
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